Antisiphonage inlet system for washing machines and the like



M y 2, 1953 w. L. SHELTON 2,638,112 ANTISIPHONAGE INLET SYSTEM FOR WASHING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed June 21 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 InVenton: Winston L. Shelton,

10 M y His Atto' ney.

May 12, 1953 w. L. SHELTON 2,638,112

ANTISIPHONAGE INLET SYSTEM FOR WASHING MAQHINES AND THE LIKE Filed June 21, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2 hi Q I Inventor: I Winston L. Shelton, by

His Att 01 T) ey.

Patented May 12, 1 953 ANTISIPHONAGE INLET SYSTEM FOR WASHING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Winston L. Shelton, Trenton, N. J., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application June 21, 1950, Serial No. 169,487

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to devices for supplying water to washing machines and the like, and in particular, relates to an improved water inlet spout which precludes the possibility of a cross connection between the contents of the washing receptacle and the water piping of the building in which the machine is installed.

It is now well recognized that in plumbing fixtures or the like connected to the water supply of a building there is a danger of reverse flow of water from the fixture to the piping if the end of the faucet or the like is below the maximum overflow level of the fixture. Such a reverse flow is known in the art as a cross connection. Clothes and dishwashing machines, and particularly those designed for automatic operation, present opportunities for the establishment of a cross connection because their attachment to the water service outlets is frequently below the overflow level of the receptacle in which the washing is done. Accordingly, most plumbing codes require that the fill pipes .or fittings of such machines terminate substantially above the maximum level to which water can rise in the receptacle so as to provide a relatively large air gap between such water level and the end of the fill pipe. In clothes washing machines, the protection against cross connection must take into consideration the substantial thickness of suds which may rise well above the overflow level.

It is accordingly a principal object of this invention to provide a water inlet fitting for use in washing machines and the like to prevent cross connections even though the discharge end of the fitting may actually become submerged in water or in suds floating thereon.

-It is another object of the invention to provide a water inlet fitting which may be installed in a concealed location in a washing machine but will nevertheless be reliably effective immediately to dissipate any vacuum condition which may be evident at the fill conduit of the machine, and thus prevent the backflow of impure water into the building service line.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cross connection prevention, device which is without moving parts and which will afford complete protection against cross connection even under abnormally severe test and service conditions.

These objectives are fulfilled in a presently preferred embodiment by providing a water inlet system having as a principal component a fill spout which reaches in over the washing receptacle and receives within its body remote from the receptacle the ends of the pipe or pipes which are served by the water piping of the building. At said remote end the spout has a large opening communicating with the atmosphere; said opening is substantially greater than the total area of the piping received therein and may also be materially greater than the dis-- charge port from which the water flows from the fill spout into the washing receptacle. Where the space available for the fill spout is limited, I obtain the aforesaid large area opening by angularly cutting the rear side wall portions of the spout so that air inlet opening is much larger than the actual cross sectional area defined by the four walls of the spout. In such an arrangement the fill pipes may actually terminate short of the bottom wall of the spout structure and I therefore provide a drip plate within the spout to divert pipe drippings into the spout for flow into the receptacle. The drip plate offers substantially no obstruction to free-air flow into the spout; in one form of my invention the end of the drip plate forwardly of the supply pipes cooperates with the spout side walls to provide a bafiie structure which affords additional protection.

Other features and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description read in connection with the accompanying drawings showing presently preferred embodiments and in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of a clothes washing machine equipped with a water inlet device embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the portion of the washing machine shown in Fig. 1 certain parts thereof having been removed and others broken away to reveal underlying structure; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective of the inlet end of a fill spout embodying my invention, I

a wall portion being brokenaway better to disclose one form of drip plate; and Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively a partial sectional elevation and a partial plan view of an embodiment utilizing a second form of drip plate.

In Figs. 1 and 2 there is shown a corner portion of a clothes washing machine having a rectangular outer casing or apron l Within which is mounted a tub 2 having an upper rim 3 of rubber or the like which bears resiliently against the underside of a cover 4. 'It will be apparent from Fig. 2 that the tub is round, and it should be understood that rim 3 extends about its full circumference. Such a tub and rim construction is more fully shown and described in the application of Edward G. Lipski, Serial No. 164,423, filed May 26, 1950, for a Tub Construction for Washing Machines and the like, now Patent No. 2,602,563 of July 8, 1952, and assigned to my present assignee. Pursuant to conventional practice there is mounted within said tub a substantially cylindrical receptacle or basket 5 within which the clothes are washed by conventional means (not shown). In some types of washing machine the basket is arranged for rapid rotation on a vertical axis to remove by centrifugal action the free Water or the water entrained in "the clothes following washing and rinsing. In

such mach-inesit is common to provide a suitable upper guard plate. 6 to prevent articles of clothing from being carried over the rim of the basket. Under normal conditions the upper edge 7 of the basket constitutes the overflow spill level thereof; but under abnormal conditions an accumulation of soap suds on the water may in effect establish a polluted water line which reaches above the: upper edge of the guard throat 9.

I utilize the corner area adjacent the tub for mounting conventional water valves Ill and H which, as is common, may connect respectively to the hot and cold water lines of the plumbing system of the building. Such connections are made with. flexible hoses (not shown) and standard female couplings for attachment to the faucets of stationary tubs or the like. Frequently such faucets are actually below the level of the valves.

The valves discharge through the respective; pipes or rigid tubes t2, it which enter the fill spout. l embodying the present invention. Asshown. in l the fill spout is an elongated tapered structure which may be of rubber or the. like. To support the. spout on the casing structure we utilize a simple. bracket having an opening through which the spout extends. The body of thespout has a flange ll which provides a groove to receive 'the'top and side walls of the bracket. As appears in Fig. l the bottom wall of flange it is; merely a shoulder which rests against the bottom wall. of the bracket. Such an arrangement facilitates the insertion of the spout into the bracket. The bracket is suitably ai'fixed. to. casing wall, 18: with. the spout projecting through an opening: in the basket rim 3 to reach over the throat 9 anddischarge dir ,ctly into the basket. Itshould. be understood that the fill spout may; be of metal or any other suitable material; rubber has been selected in the preferred embodiment because of its economy and water iinperviousness'. I prefer to strengthen at least the: upperrwal'l: of the spout so thatthe discharge orifice. ill will. not distort during water discharge therefrom, and accordinglyform the spout with suitably arranged stiffening walls 21; The geometry of thespou't and support bracket issuch that. the inlet: tubes it, i l are at least one inch above the plane of the spout 253.

It should he understood that although the water inlet end or the spout is in a rather con.- fined chamber defined by the plate is and cover 4,. said chamber is not in any sense of the word airtight. There is a. substantial opportunity for air leakage into: the; chamber; see for example the. spaces it at the. ends of the plate It. Said spaces communicate with the interior of the casing i which isof substantial volume and is in various places open to the atmosphere, as will be appreciated by thos familiar with washing machine construction- It may be considered therefore that theinlet end of the spout I5 is open to: the atmosphere. in order to insure a maximum airv inlet'l cut the side walls of the" spout along the! angular line 2? and introduce the valvedischarge conduits it, l into the end portion of the spout preferably so that said tubes lie: adjacent the upper spout wall. The ends of the fill tubes are purposely positioned substantially toethe rear of the bottom wall of the spout. and. although water ischarging forcefully from the: tubes will carry well into the spout without loss. through the rear end thereof there is. the possibility of some splashing within the spout, anddrippage from the tubes fol1ow-- ing closure of the. respective valves. Means are therefore provided for conducting the tube drippings into the spout and thence into the receptacle 5. In the presently preferred embodiment which is shown to better advantage in F g. 3, such. drip protection may comprise a catch plate 23 shaped from suitable material to provide a. base Wall 24 and the upwardly and outwardly sloping side walls 25. I have employed Textolite rigid plastic sheet, as well as stainless steel and other materials. Side walls 25 are, in effect, mere quadrilateral frames which define a large area opening 2E. It will be understood that the side walls of the fill spout iii are vertical and. therefore the arrangeinent of the sloping side walls 25 of the catch pla e between the plate and the spout side walls. The drip plate may be installed within the spout by any suitable means; for example, by providing trackways El along the inner side walls of the spout to receive the outwardly extending runners it of the catch plate. Hook portions 39 engage with the outer surfaces of the spout side walls to secure the catch plate in operative position. As clearl appears i'. 1 the solid bottom wall of thedrip plate extends well into the fill spout to overlie'th'e: bottom wall thereof so that drippings will now from the plate into the spout and then will follow the sloping bottom wall thereof to pass into the. basket 5.

The spout construction shown is: in all respects similar to the embodiment of Fig. 1. However, the catch plate comprisesa simple diaphragm 32 of 1 etai or rigid plastic material which is retained wit in the side wall grooves or. traclzways 2?. It is evident the catch plate structure shown in Fig. 3 provides a substantially greater air inlet area than the simple plate of Fig. e. l" ob us that even in the latter embodiment the width of the open end of the spout relative to the total width of the fill it affords an air inlet area substantially greater th n the combined openings of the fill either embodiment the air flow in through the open rear portion of the fill spout Will prevent siphonage of sudsy water along the till spout it; and into the tubes E2 or i i. The open bo'tt of the fill spout beneath the fill tubes prevents sublnergenceof the ends. of the said tubes under any conditions. With partieul re rence to Fig. l, the narrow, elongated slot donned by the forward edge of plate 32 the top side walls of spout: it offers a remarkably effective barrier against the passage of or foam. Said slot is: greater than the combined area of the supply conduits, and is also greater than the areaoi the. spout discharge A fill: spout constructed according to my inven tion. may actually be submerge-o. in soap suds up to the. barrier afforded by the top rim 3 thetub: without possibility of cross connection of said suds with either of the fill tubes. The rim 3- will prevent suds from passing about the outside of the fill spout to envelop the ends of the tubes.

in igs. 4 and 5 The. discharge opening 2a": of the spout it? is of such relatively small that it will effectively prevent the entry of suds into the spout even assuming thesubmergence of the end of the fill tube within said suds. The elevation of the ends of tubes: E2 and it above the plate 5 8 prov-ides an air' gap proof against traversal by water even under deliberately contrived test conditions.

Whilel have shown particular embodiments 01" provides relatively large area channelsmy invention it will be understood of course that I do not wish to be limited thereto since many modifications may be made; and I therefore contemplate by the appended claims to cover such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention,

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A fill spout for a washing machine or the like, comprisin an elongated tubular body having an inlet end adapted to receive liquid supply conduits and a discharge end having a relatively restricted opening for the flow of supplied liquid into said washing machine, said inlet end adjacent the discharge ends of said conduits having an opening substantially larger than thetotal discharge area of said conduits to admit atmospheric air freely about said discharge ends, said inlet end being formed and positioned with the bottom portion of said tubular body beginning forwardly of said discharge ends of said conduits; a catch plate secured Within the inlet portion of said body beneath said supply conduits and having an imperforate bottom wall projecting into said body parallel with the bottom wall thereof to an extent substantially beyond the ends of said conduits, the inner end of said cacth plate defining with the walls of said body an area substantially larger than the total conduit discharge area and in communication with said inlet end opening; and means for mounting said fill spout on said. washing machine with the bottom wall thereof sloping toward said machine.

2. A fill spout for a washing machine or the like, comprising an elongated tubular body having an inlet end adapted to receive liquid supply conduits adjacent its upper wall portion and a discharge end having a relatively restricted opening for the flow of supplied liquid into said washing machine, said inlet end having an opening substantially larger than the total discharge area of said conduits to admit atmospheric air freely about the ends thereof, the upper portion of said inlet end extending rearwardly of the discharge ends of said conduits and the lower portion beginning forwardly of said discharge ends; a catch plate secured within the inlet portion of said body and havin an imperforate wall extending beneath said supply conduits in parallelism with said bottom wall for a distance constituting a multiple of the extent of projection of said conduits into said body, the inner end of said catch plate defining with the Walls of said body an area substantially larger than the total conduit discharge area and in communication with the atmosphere; and means for mounting said fill spout on said washing machine with the bottom wall thereof sloping toward said machine.

3. A fill spout for a washing machine or the like comprising an elongated tubular body having an inlet end adapted to receive liquid supply conduits adjacent the upper wall of said body and in mutually spaced by-by-side relationship and to conduct the liquid discharged thereby into said machine, the rear side wall portions of said body being shaped to define a large air inlet opening disposed about and extending forwardly of the ends of said conduits, and an elongated catch plate having side frame members extending angularly from an imperforate bottom wall, and means within said body for supporting said catch plate within said body with the said bottom wall disposed between the upper and lower walls of said body in overlapping relation with and parallel to the bottom wall thereof.

4. A fill spout according to claim 3, in which said catch plate is removably carried within trackways formed in the side walls of said body.

5. A fill spout for a washing machine or the like, comprising a tubular body having an inlet end adapted to receive liquid supply conduits adjacent the upper wall of s id body in mutually spaced side-by-side relationship and to conduct the liquid discharged thereby into said machine, the rear side wall portions of said body being shaped to define a large air inlet opening disposed beneath and extending forwardly of the ends of said conduits, and a catch plate supported within said body below said conduits, said catch plate having side frame members extending in spaced relation relative to the side walls of said body and an imperforate bottom wall projecting forwardly of the ends of said body and spaced between the upper and lower walls of said body, said catch plate side frame members defining large area openings in communication with the outer atmosphere.

6. A fill spout for a washing machine or the like, comprising an elongated tubular body having an inlet end adapted to receive liquid. supply conduits and a discharge end of restricted area for the introduction of supplied liquid to said washing machine, the bottom wall of said body at the inlet end thereof commencing forwardly of the upper wall of said body and the discharge ends of said conduits, said walls providing an opening substantially larger than the total discharge area of said conduits to admit atmospheric air freely about said discharge ends, a catch plate secured within the inlet portion of said body, said catch plate end having an imperforate wall extending forwardly of and beneath said conduits to overlap said bottom wall in parallel spaced relation therewith, the said catch plate wall and said body walls defining an opening larger than the said total conduit area, and bracket means for mounting said fill spout on said machine with the bottom wall of said spout sloping toward said machine to drain residual liquid from said spout.

7. A fill spout for a washing machine or the like, comprising an elongated tubular body having an inlet end adapted to receive a liquid supply conduit and a discharge end for the introduction of supplied liquid to said washing machine, said inlet end portion adjacent the end of said conduit having an opening substantially larger than the total discharge area of said conduit to admit atmospheric air freely about the said conduit end, the bottom wall of said body at the inlet end commencing forwardly of the discharge end of said conduit; a catch plate secured within the inlet portion of said body beneath said supply conduit, said catch plate having an imperforate wall extending forwardly of said conduit in substantial parallelism with the bottom wall of said body; and bracket means for mounting said fill spout on said machine with the bottom wall of said spout sloping toward said machine to drain residual liquid from said spout.

WINSTON L. SHELTON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 417,351 Anderson Dec. 1"], 1889 2,158,267 Arbogast May 16, 1939 2,287,534 Powers June 23, 1942 2,417,908 Bowen Mar. 25, 1947 2,552,398 Briggs May 8, 1951 

